![Italy-Royal-Airforce](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Italy-Royal-Airforce.svg)
The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
. It was established as a service independent of the
Royal Italian Army
The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...
from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolished and the Kingdom of Italy became the
Italian Republic
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, whereupon the name of the air force changed to
Aeronautica Militare.
History
Beginnings
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Italy was at the forefront of aerial warfare: during the colonization of
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
in 1911, it made the first reconnaissance flight in history on 23 October, and the first ever bombing raid on 1 November.
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the Italian ''Corpo Aeronautico Militare'', then still part of the ''
Regio Esercito
The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfr ...
'' (Royal Army), operated a mix of French fighters and locally built bombers, notably the gigantic
Caproni
Caproni, also known as ''Società de Agostini e Caproni'' and ''Società Caproni e Comitti'', was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Its main base of operations was at Taliedo, near Linate Airport, on the outskirts of Milan.
Founded by Giovan ...
aircraft. The ''
Regia Marina
The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the Italian constitutional referendum, 1946, birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' ch ...
'' (Royal Navy) had its own air arm, operating locally built flying boats.
Founding of the ''Regia Aeronautica''
The Italian air force became an independent service—the ''Regia Aeronautica''—on 28 March 1923.
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
's
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
regime turned it into an impressive
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
machine, with its aircraft, featuring the Italian flag colors across the full span of the undersides of the wings, making numerous record-breaking flights.
Between 1 April 1939 and 1 November 1939, Italian airmen established no fewer than 110 records, winning world championships in round trips, long-range flights, high speed and altitude flights. After successful long-range flights around the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
,
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...
's successful
transatlantic flight
A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East to North America, Central America, or South America, or ''vice versa''. Such flights have been made by fixed-wing air ...
in the ''
Spirit of St. Louis
The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlant ...
'' inspired the Regia Aeronautica to embark on a longer transatlantic voyage with stops in
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
Possibly the most brilliant successes were the floatplane world speed record of 709 km/h (440.6 mph) achieved by
Francesco Agello
Francesco Agello (27 December 1902 – 24 November 1942) was an Italian test pilot.
Biography and flight achievements
Born at Casalpusterlengo, Lombardy, Italy, Agello graduated from pilot school in 1924 and soon became a test pilot. He was ...
in the
Macchi-Castoldi MC-72 in October 1934
[Neulen 2000, p. 19.] and the long-range formation flight to the United States and back to Italy in 1933, a total of 19,000 km (11,800 miles) with
Savoia-Marchetti S.55
The Savoia-Marchetti S.55 was a double-hulled flying boat produced in Italy, beginning in 1924. Shortly after its introduction, it began setting records for speed, payload, altitude and range.
Design and development
The S.55 featured many in ...
flying boat
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
s. This
Decennial Air Cruise included stops in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
,
Reykjavík
Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...
,
Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
,
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, and
Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, with the highlight being a landing in
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
in front of
Chicago Navy Pier and a procession through the city before crowds of thousands of Americans to coincide with the
Century of Progress Exhibition. This pioneering achievement was organized and led by General of Aviation
Italo Balbo
Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa. Due to his young a ...
.
[Neulen 2000, p. 20.]
During the latter half of the 1930s, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' participated in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, as well as the invasions of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
and
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
.
Ethiopian war
The first test for the new Italian Royal Air force came in October 1935,
[Neulen 2000, p. 22.]
with the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War
The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression which was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Itali ...
. During the final stages of the war, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' deployed up to 386 aircraft, operating from
Eritrea
Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
and
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
. The Italian aviators did not have any opposition in the air, as the
Imperial Ethiopian Air Force had just 15 transport and liaison aircraft, only nine of which were serviceable. However, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' lost 72 planes and 122 aircrew
[Neulen 2000, pp. 22–23.] while supporting the operations of the ''Regio Esercito'', sometimes dropping poison gas bombs against the Ethiopian army. After the end of hostilities on 5 May 1936, for the following 13 months the ''Regia Aeronautica'' had to assist Italian forces in fighting Ethiopian guerrillas.
[Neulen 2000, p. 23.]
Spanish Civil War
![Savoia-Marchetti SM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Savoia-Marchetti_SM.81.jpg)
During the
Spanish coup of July 1936, Italian pilots in
Spanish Foreign Legion
For centuries, Spain recruited foreign soldiers to its army, forming the Foreign Regiments () - such as the Regiment of Hibernia (formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own country in the wake of the Flight of the Earls and the penal ...
uniforms airlifted
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
's
Army of Africa from
Spanish Morocco to the
Spanish mainland. During the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
Italian pilots fought alongside
Spanish Nationalist
The creation of the tradition of the political community of Spaniards as common destiny over other communities has been argued to trace back to the Cortes of Cádiz. Revisiting the history of Spain, after 1812 Spanish liberalism tended to take fo ...
and German ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' pilots as members of the ''Aviazione Legionaria'' ("
Aviation Legion"). This deployment took place from July 1936 to March 1939 and complemented an expeditionary force of Italian ground troops called the "
Corps of Volunteer Troops". In Spain, the Italian pilots were under direct command of the
Spanish Nationalists
Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
and took part in training and joint operations with the pilots of the German "
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...
".
Mussolini sent to Spain 6000 aviation personnel as well as about 720 aircraft, including 80-90
Savoia-Marchetti SM 81, 100
Savoia Marchetti SM.79 bombers and 380–400
Fiat CR.32 biplanes that dominated the air, proving superior to the Soviet
Polikarpov
Polikarpov Design Bureau was a Soviet OKB (design bureau) for aircraft, led by Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov. Dux Factory was acquired by the USSR and became part of Polikarpov.
After the death of Polikarpov on 30 July 1944 at the age of 5 ...
s of the
Spanish Republican Air Force. The ''Aviazione legionaria'' achieved approximately 500 aerial victories, losing 86 aircraft in air combat and about 200 flying personnel.
[Neulen 2000, p. 25.]
But more important than the material losses were the wrong conclusions drawn from air war in Spain. The Air Ministry, blinded by the success of the Fiat CR.32, persisted in its belief that the biplane could still dominate the sky, and ordered large numbers of
Fiat CR.42 Falco
The Fiat CR.42 ''Falco'' ("Falcon", plural: ''Falchi'') is a single-seat sesquiplane fighter developed and produced by Italian aircraft manufacturer Fiat Aviazione. It served primarily in the Italian in the 1930s and during the Second World Wa ...
s, the last war biplane in history.
[Neulen 2000, p. 26.]
Albania
The ''Regia Aeronautica'' played a limited role during the
Italian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania (April 7–12, 1939) was a brief military campaign which was launched by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom in 1939. The conflict was a result of the imperialistic policies of the Italian prime m ...
in 1939.
World War II
In July 1939, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' was seen as splendid air arm, holding no fewer than 33 world records, which was more than
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
(15),
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
(12), the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
(11)
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
(7),
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
(3), the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
(2) and
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
(1).
[Neulen 2000, p. 29.] When
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
began in 1939, Italy had a paper strength of 3296 machines. While numerically still a force to be reckoned with, it was hampered by the local aircraft industry which was using obsolete production methods. In reality, only 2000 aircraft were fit for operations, of which just 166 were modern fighters (89
Fiat G.50 Freccias and 77
Macchi MC.200
The Macchi C.200 Saetta (Italian: "Lightning"), or MC.200, was a fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy. Various versions were flown by the ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Air Force) who used the type throughou ...
s), both slower than potential opponents as the
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
, the
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
and the
Dewoitine D.520
The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in early 1940, shortly after the beginning of the Second World War.
The D.520 was designed in response to a 1936 requirement from the French Air Force for a fast, modern fi ...
. Still, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' had no long-range fighters nor night fighters.
[Neulen 2000, p. 30.]
Technical assistance provided by its German ally did little to improve the situation.
Battle of France
On 10 June 1940, during the closing days of the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
, Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom. On 13 June, Fiat CR.42s attacked
French Air Force bases and escorted
Fiat BR.20
The Fiat BR.20 ''Cicogna'' (Italian: " stork") was a low-wing twin-engine medium bomber that was developed and manufactured by Italian aircraft company Fiat. It holds the distinction of being the first all-metal Italian bomber to enter service;B ...
s that bombed the harbour of
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
. Two days later, CR.42s from 3° ''Stormo'' and 53° ''Stormo'' attacked again French air bases and clashed with
Dewoitine D.520
The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in early 1940, shortly after the beginning of the Second World War.
The D.520 was designed in response to a 1936 requirement from the French Air Force for a fast, modern fi ...
s and
Bloch MB.152s, claiming eight kills for five losses.
[Cattaneo 1971, p. 5.] But when a small
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
fleet shelled the
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
n coast on 15 June, the Italian air force was not able to prevent this action or attack the French ships effectively, showing a lack of cooperation with the ''
Regia Marina
The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the Italian constitutional referendum, 1946, birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' ch ...
'', Italian navy.
The ''Regia Aeronautica'' carried out 716 bombing missions, with Italian aircraft dropping a total of 276 tons of bombs on French fortifications, military bases, and airfields (some of the targets being Toulon, Briançon, Traversette, and Cap San Martin); during this short war, ''Regia Aeronautica'' lost 10 aircraft in aerial combat and 24 aircrew personnel, while claiming 10 kills and 40 French planes destroyed on the ground.
[Neulen 2000, p. 32.] According to a book published after the war by ''Generale''
Giuseppe Santoro, critical of the unplanned use of the Air Force, which had not been prepared for operations of aerial bombing against fortifications, only about of the bombs were dropped on the targets. Despite this misuse of resources, the bombing missions made possible and supported the limited
Italian advance into southern France by the ''
Regio Esercito
The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfr ...
'', with the Italian air force retaining its fame until the Battle of Britain showed its limitations.
After the war, there was a widespread rumour in France, especially between
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, of Italian aircraft strafing civilian columns, with many people claiming to have seen the tricolour roundels painted on them. These allegations have been disproved, as the Italian aircraft did not have the range to hit such distant targets and concentrated on short-range military objectives (''Regia Aeronautica'' wing roundels had three ''
fasci littori'', having replaced the tricolour ones). It was concluded that this was nothing more than a myth, arising from the reaction to the Italian attack, the fame of the Italian air force and the heated and confused climate.
Middle East
![Bombing of haifa 11](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Bombing_of_haifa_11.jpg)
''Regia Aeronautica'' aircraft were involved in the
Middle Eastern theatre almost from the start of Italian involvement in World War II. During the
Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The ca ...
, German and Italian aircraft of "Flyer Command Iraq" (''
Fliegerführer Irak
Flyer Command Iraq (german: link=no, Fliegerführer Irak) was a unit of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe'') sent to Iraq in May 1941 as part of a German mission to support the regime of Rashid Ali during the Anglo-Iraqi War. The mission was par ...
'') stopped to refuel in the
Vichy French
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
-controlled
Mandate of Syria
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (french: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; ar, الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, al-intidāb al-fransi 'ala suriya wa-lubnān) (1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate foun ...
as they flew to
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. These masqueraded as
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF or IrAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية العراقية, Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah}) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well ...
aircraft and were painted as such ''en route''. Continued concern over German and Italian influence in the area led to the Allies'
Syria-Lebanon Campaign.
In one of the lesser known incidents of the war, starting in July 1940,
Italian aircraft bombed cities in the British Mandate of Palestine. This was aimed at pushing the British back and retaking the greater Mediterranean, as in
ancient Roman
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
times. The bombing of
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
on 10 September killed 137 people. In mid-October, the Italians also
bombed American-operated oil refineries in the British Protectorate of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
.
East Africa
In
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa ( it, Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) was an Italian colony in the Horn of Africa. It was formed in 1936 through the merger of Italian Somalia, Italian Eritrea, and the newly occupied Ethiopian Empire, conquered in the S ...
the ''Regia Aeronautica'' performed better than in other war theaters.
In June 1940, the Italian Royal Air Force had here 195 fighters, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, plus 25 transport planes.
[Neulen 2000, p. 39.] Some of these aircraft were outdated, but the Italians had
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 (12 examples) and
Savoia-Marchetti SM.81
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 ''Pipistrello'' (Italian: bat) was the first three-engine bomber/transport aircraft serving in the Italian ''Regia Aeronautica''.Angelucci and Matricardi 1978, p. 188. When it appeared in 1935, it represented a real s ...
bombers and
Fiat CR.42 fighters. In relative terms, these were some of the best aircraft on hand to either side at the beginning of the
East African Campaign. In addition, the Italian aircraft were often based at better airfields than those of the British and Commonwealth forces. When the war began, Italian pilots were relatively well trained and confident of their abilities. At the beginning of the hostilities, ''Regia Aeronautica'' achieved aerial superiority and occasionally skilled Italian pilots, flying their Fiat biplanes, managed to shoot down even the faster and better armed
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
monoplanes. However, during the first three months, ''Regia Aeronautica'' lost 84 aircraft and had 143 aircrew personnel killed and 71 wounded, but the losses did not halt Italian operations.
[Neulen 2000, p. 40.] Cut off from Italy as they were though, problems with lack of fuel, munitions, spare parts and replacements became a serious problem and the ''Regia Aeronautica'' was worn down in a war of attrition. By 31 January,
Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta
Prince Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta (Amedeo Umberto Isabella Luigi Filippo Maria Giuseppe Giovanni di Savoia-Aosta; 21 October 1898 – 3 March 1942) was the third Duke of Aosta and a first cousin, once removed of the King of Italy, Victor Emma ...
, reported that the Italian military forces in
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
were down to 67 operational aircraft with limited fuel.
By the end of February, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' had only 42 aircraft left in East Africa, and the British now had the upper hand. In March, surplus personnel of air force units had to fight as infantry. By the end of the following month, Italians had only 13 serviceable aircraft left in East Africa.
[Neulen 2000, p. 44.]
At last, on 24 October 1941, about one month prior to the final Italian surrender, the last Italian aircraft of the campaign, a Fiat CR.42, was shot down.
[Andrew Mollo, ''The Armed Forces of World War II'', p. 91]
Battle of Britain
On 10 September 1940, an independent air corps for supporting ''Luftwaffe'' in the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
was established. It was named ''
Corpo Aereo Italiano
The ''Corpo Aereo Italiano'' (literally, "Italian Air Corps"), or CAI, was an expeditionary force from the Italian ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Royal Air Force) that participated in the Battle of Britain and the Blitz during the final months o ...
'', or CAI. It was under command of ''Generale''
Rino Corso Fougier
Rino Corso Fougier (14 November 1894 in Bastia – 24 April 1963 in Rome) was a general of the Italian Royal Air Force. From 1940 to 1941 he served as the commander of the Corpo Aereo Italiano which, in concert with the Luftwaffe, took part in the ...
. It comprised
approximately 170 aircraft
including 80
Fiat Br.20
The Fiat BR.20 ''Cicogna'' (Italian: " stork") was a low-wing twin-engine medium bomber that was developed and manufactured by Italian aircraft company Fiat. It holds the distinction of being the first all-metal Italian bomber to enter service;B ...
bombers and 98
Fiat G.50 Freccia and CR.42 fighters. The transfer of the planes was completed by 19 October. The CAI was based in
Nazi-occupied Belgium.
[Neulen 2000, p. 35.] Bad weather and planes inadequate to that war theater hindered effective action by the CAI.
The CR.42s clashed with British
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
s and
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
s just two times, in November. The Italians claimed five victories and nine probables, but five Fiat biplanes were shot down.
The RAF, however, reported no losses.
The 17 bombing raids carried out by the BR.20s did not cause much material damage, moreover aircraft were needed on the Greek front and in
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
[Neulen 2000, p. 36.] so in January 1941 the bombers and CR.42s started to be withdrawn to Italy. Just two squadrons of G.50s remained until mid-April 1941. During this campaign, ''Regia Aeronautica'' lost 36 planes, (including 26 in accidents) and 43 aircrew personnel, without achieving a single confirmed air victory.
Western Desert
Initially, the
Western Desert Campaign was a near equal struggle between the ''Regia Aeronautica'' and the British
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF). Early on, the fighters available to both sides were primarily older biplanes, with Italian
Fiat CR.32 and
Fiat CR.42s flying against British
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s.
Developed private ...
s.
After the Italian disasters during
Operation Compass
Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
and the arrival of General
Erwin Rommel
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
and his
German Africa Corps, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' fought side by side with the German ''Luftwaffe'' in the
Western Desert.
Although the air campaign in Libya was seriously limited because of desert conditions, the Italian Royal Air Force managed to retain a force of nearly four hundred airplanes. During the first British counter-offensive, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' had suffered heavy losses (over 400 aircraft) until the
Axis attack on Greece began, when a major part of the British land and air forces were diverted there giving the Italian forces time to recover. New Italian aircraft and units were supplemented by the arrival of the German
Afrika Korps
The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
, and the attached Luftwaffe contingent deployed almost 200 airplanes in Libya and another 600 in Sicily. Working with the Luftwaffe, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' performed better due to the exchange of tactical doctrine and the arrival of more modern aircraft.
In mid-1942, during the
Battle of Bir Hakeim
The Battle of Bir Hakeim () took place at Bir Hakeim, an oasis in the Libyan desert south and west of Tobruk, during the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The 1st Free French Brigade under Marie-Pierre Kœnig defended the position from ...
(26 May 1942 – 11 June 1942) the new
Macchi C.202 fighter outperformed all of the
Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 ...
's fighters, achieving an unprecedented ratio kill/loss of 4.4/1, better than that of famed
Messerschmitt Bf 109s (3.5/1) fighting the same battle.
During Rommel's first offensive, the Italians managed to divert RAF attacks from his forces and covered his retreat during the British
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (United Kingdom), Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) ...
, while inflicting heavy losses on RAF bombers.
During Rommel's second offensive, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' and the Luftwaffe suffered considerable losses due to stronger Allied resistance during air battles over
El Alamein and bombing raids over Alexandria and Cairo.
The ''Regia Aeronautica'', having suffered heavy losses in Egypt, was withdrawn progressively to Tobruk, Benghazi, Tripoli and, eventually, Tunisia.
Malta
![BombDamageMalta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/BombDamageMalta.jpg)
The ''Regia Aeronautica'' participated in the
air offensive on the British controlled island of Malta along with the German Air Force in an attempt to protect the Axis sea routes from Sicily, Sardinia, and Italy to North Africa.
Up to the end of 1940, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' carried out 7410 sorties against the island, dropping 550 tons of bombs, but losing 35 aircraft. The Italians claimed 66 British planes in these first six months of combat, but these claims were exaggerated.
[Neulen 2000, p. 50.]
In 1941, ''Regia Aeronautica'' carried out further attacks on Malta, but less intensely than in 1940. The Italian airmen started to fear Maltese fighters and AA artillery, so much that the flight to the besieged island became known as the ''rotta della morte'', the "route of death".
[Neulen 2000, p. 53.]
In 1942, for its operations against Malta, between 1 January and 8 November, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' had 100 more aircraft lost in action.
[Neulen 2000, p. 55.]
Malta suffered heavy loss of equipment, ship, and vehicles, and was to the edge of starvation. However the besieged island managed to withstand the attacks from the Italian and German air forces and claimed almost 1,500 Axis planes,
three times the real losses: up to November 1942, the ''Luftwaffe'' admitted to losing 357 aircraft and the ''Regia Aeronautica'' 210.
[Rogers 2000, p. 220.] But during the siege, the RAF's losses were even heavier, amounting to 547 in the air (including some 300 fighters) and 160 on the ground, plus 504 aircraft damaged in the air and 231 on the ground.
[Rogers 2000, pp. 220–221.]
Gibraltar
The ''Regia Aeronautica'' began its attacks on the British crown colony of
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
and its important naval base from July 1940.
In 1942, Italian
Piaggio P.108 bombers attacked Gibraltar from
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
, flying a number of long-range night raids.
Up to October 1942, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' carried out 14 raids with a total of 32 bombers.
The last raids on Gibraltar were flown during the
1943 Allied landing in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, when those bombers also made a successful strike on the port of
Oran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
.
The only unit of the ''Regia Aeronautica'' to fly the Piaggio P.108 was the 274th Long-Range Bombardment Group, which was formed in May 1941 as the first machines came off the assembly lines. Training and achieving full operation strength took far longer than anticipated, and the 274th only became operational in June 1942.
Greece and Yugoslavia
When the
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War (Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdoms of Italy and G ...
started on 28 October 1940, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' fielded 193 combat aircraft, which initially failed to achieve air superiority against the
Royal Hellenic Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 8 November
, equipment =
, equipment_label ...
(RHAF), which had 128 operational aircraft out of a total of 158.
[Carr 2012, p. 16] The poor infrastructure for
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
air bases hindered communications and movements between the Italian flying units. Only two airfields –
Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
and
Valona – had
macadam runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
s, so autumn and winter weather made operations more difficult. There was also the usual lack of co-operation between the Italian Navy and Army. Finally, just few days after the start of the war, Italian pilots were confronted by
No. 80 Squadron, led by the outstanding ace
Marmaduke Pattle and equipped with
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s.
Developed private ...
s,
No. 30 Squadron, No. 211 Squadron and
No. 84 Squadron with
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
s, and No. 70 Squadron with
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...
s. Gradually, Italian air power (including ''Squadriglie'' flying from Italian air bases) grew to over 400 aircraft against the dwindling numbers of the Greeks.
[Neulen 2000, pp. 37–38.] However, this advantage did not stop the
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is th ...
from forcing the ''Regio Esercito'' onto the defensive and back into Albania. In early 1941, the tide was turned as the German
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
launched its simultaneous invasions of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
.
For the 11-day campaign against Yugoslavia, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' deployed 600 aircraft, claimed five air victories (plus 100 planes destroyed on the ground) and suffered five losses.
[Neulen 2000, p. 38.] However, from that point on, the role of the ''Regia Aeronautica'' in the
Balkans Campaign was primarily that of supporting the ''Luftwaffe''.
This support role continued during the occupation of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
that followed.
The ''Regia Aeronautica'' claimed 218 aircraft shot down plus 55 probables against the RHAF and RAF, while the Greeks claimed 68 air victories (plus 23 probables) and the British 150 kills. Actually the air war against Greece cost the Italians just 65 losses (but 495 damaged)
[Carr 2012, p. 171.] while RAF losses in the Greek campaign were 209 aircraft, 72 in the air, 55 on the ground, and 82 destroyed or abandoned during the evacuation.
[Terraine 1997, p. 334.]
Eastern Front
In August 1941 the Regia Aeronautica sent an Air Corps of 1,900 personnel to the
Eastern Front as an attachment to the "
Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
During World War II, the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (''Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia'', or CSIR) was a corps-sized expeditionary unit of the '' Regio Esercito'' (Italian Army) that fought on the Eastern Front. In July 1942 th ...
" (''Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia'', or CSIR) and then the "
Italian Army in Russia
The Italian Army in Russia ( it, Armata Italiana in Russia; ARMIR) was an army-sized unit of the Royal Italian Army which fought on the Eastern Front during World War II between July 1942 and April 1943. The ARMIR was also known as the 8th ...
" (''Armata Italiana in Russia'', or ARMIR) were known as the "Italian Air Force Expeditionary Corps in Russia" (''Corpo Aereo Spedizione in Russia''). These squadrons, initially consisting of ''22° Gruppo'' CT with 51 Macchi C.200 fighters and ''61° Gruppo '' with the
Caproni Ca.311 bomber, supported the Italian armed forces from 1941 to 1943. They were initially based in the
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and ultimately supported operations in the
Stalingrad area. In mid 1942 the more modern Macchi C. 202 was introduced to operations in Russia. The CSIR was subsumed by the ARMIR in 1942 and the ARMIR was disbanded in early 1943 after disaster during the
Battle of Stalingrad. The Air Corps pulled out of operations in January 1943, transferring to
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
.
From 1944 to 1945, Italian personnel operated from the
Baltic area and in the northern part of the Eastern Front under the direct command of the Luftwaffe under the name Air Transport Group 1 (Italian: ''1° Gruppo Aerotrasporti "Terracciano" '', German: ''1° Staffel Transportfliegergruppe 10 (Ital)''). This group was part of the
National Republican Air Force of the
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
.
Tunisian Campaign
By the time of the
Tunisian Campaign
The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. Th ...
, the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe rarely enjoyed parity let alone air superiority in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
.
Sicilian Campaign and before 8 September 1943
The ''Regia Aeronautica'' was forced on the defensive during the
Sicilian Campaign
The Sicilian Expedition was an Athenian military expedition to Sicily, which took place from 415–413 BC during the Peloponnesian War between Athens on one side and Sparta, Syracuse and Corinth on the other. The expedition ended in a devas ...
. Italian pilots were constantly fighting against
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
efforts to sink ''Regia Marina'' ships. Just before the Allied invasion, a huge Allied bomber offensive struck the airfields in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
in an effort to gain further air superiority. This left the ''Regia Aeronautica'' very weak, but aircraft continued to arrive from
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
,
southern Italy
Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half.
The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...
, and
southern France
Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...
.
The last mission of the ''Regia Aeronautica'' before the truce with the Allies was the defence during the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
'
bombings of Frascati and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
on 8 September 1943.
Post-armistice
After the
Italian armistice
The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II.
It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' was briefly succeeded by two new Italian air forces. Headquartered at
Salerno in southern Italy, the Royalist
Italian Co-belligerent Air Force (''Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana'', or ACI) fought alongside the
Allied forces. In northern Italy, the National Republican Air Force (''
Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
The National Republican Air Force ( it, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, ANR) was the air force of the Italian Social Republic, a World War II German puppet state in Italy.
Description
This air force was tasked with defending the industri ...
'', or ANR) flew for the
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
and the
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
. The first ANR fighter unit was the 101st ''Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre'', based in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
.
Aircraft of the Royal and Republican air forces never fought each other. The ACI operated in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
and the ANR in
northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
and the area around the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
.
From 10 June 1940 up to 8 September 1943, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' lost 6483 aircraft
[Neulen 2000, p. 75.] (other sources report 5201), including 3483 fighters, 2273 bombers, torpedo-bombers and transports, plus 227 reconnaissance planes. The Royal Italian Air Force itself claimed 4293 enemy aircraft, including 1771 destroyed on the ground.
Personnel losses suffered during the conflict consisted of 3007 dead or missing, 2731 wounded and 9873 prisoners of war.
['Combat Kill', Morgan & Seibel, 1997]
Regia Aeronautica Aces (World War II)
The ''Regia Aeronautica'' tended not to keep statistics on the individual level, instead reporting kills for a certain unit, attributed to their unit commander. However, pilots were able to keep personal log books, so the few that survived through World War II give individual statistics. Here is a list of the aces attributed with ten or more kills:
[Massimelo-Apostolo 2000, p. 86.]
*
Teresio Vittorio Martinoli – 22 kills
*
Franco Lucchini – 22 kills (1 in Spain)
*
Leonardo Ferrulli – 21 kills (1 in Spain)
*
Franco Bordoni-Bisleri – 19 kills
*
Luigi Gorrini – 19 kills
*
Mario Visintini
Mario Visintini, MOVM, (26 April 1913 – 11 February 1941) was an Italian military pilot, the first Regia Aeronautica flying ace of World War II. In recognition of his flying skill and meticulousness, Visintini was nicknamed ''cacciatore scientif ...
– 17 kills
* Ugo Drago – 17 kills
* Mario Bellagambi – 14 kills
* Luigi Baron – 14 kills
* Luigi Gianella – 12 kills
* Attilio Sanson – 12 kills
* Willy Malagola – 11 Kills
* Carlo Magnaghi – 11 kills
* Angelo Mastroagostino – 11 kills
* Giorgio Solaroli di Briona – 11 kills
* Mario Veronesi – 11 kills
* Fernando Malvezzi – 10 kills
* Giulio Reiner – 10 kills
* Giuseppe Robetto – 10 kills
* Carlo Maurizio Ruspoli di Poggio Suasa – 10 kills
* Massimo Salvatore – 10 kills
* Claudio Solaro – 10 kills
* Ennio Tarantola – 10 kills
* Giulio Torresi – 10 kills
*
Adriano Visconti
Major Adriano Visconti di Lampugnano (11 November 1915 – 29 April 1945) was one of Italy's top flying aces of the Second World War, shooting down between 10 and 26 enemy aircraft. He was awarded with four '' Medaglia d'argento al Valor Militare' ...
– 10 kills
Aircraft
Notable members of the Règia Aeronautica
*
Italo Balbo
Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa. Due to his young a ...
*
Francesco Baracca
Count Francesco Baracca (9 May 1888 – 19 June 1918) was Italy's top fighter ace of World War I. He was credited with 34 aerial victories. The emblem he wore side by side on his plane of a black horse prancing on its two rear hooves in ...
(precursor)
*
Ettore Muti
Ettore Muti (2 May 1902 – 24 August 1943) was an Italian aviator and Fascist politician. He was party secretary of the National Fascist Party (''Partito Nazionale Fascista'', or PNF) from October 1939 until shortly after the entry of Italy ...
*
Pier Ruggero Piccio
Lieutenant General Count Pier Ruggero Piccio (27 September 1880 – 30 July 1965) was an Italian aviator and the founding Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force. With 24 victories during his career, he is one of the principal Italian air aces o ...
, founding Chief of Staff
*
Umberto Nobile
Umberto Nobile (; 21 January 1885 – 30 July 1978) was an Italian aviator, aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer.
Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships in the years between the two World Wars. He is primarily remembe ...
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Vittorio Revetra
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Gaetano Costa
Gaetano Costa (; Caltanissetta, 1 March 1916 - Palermo, 6 August 1980) was an Italian magistrate killed by the Cosa Nostra.
Chief Prosecutor of Palermo, he was assassinated by the Mafia on 6 August 1980 while browsing books on a stall located ...
The end of the Regia Aeronautica
The Regia Aeronautica was succeeded by Aeronautica Militare when Italy became a republic on 2 June 1946.
See also
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Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
The National Republican Air Force ( it, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, ANR) was the air force of the Italian Social Republic, a World War II German puppet state in Italy.
Description
This air force was tasked with defending the industri ...
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Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
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List of aircraft of World War II
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
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Royal Italian Army
The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...
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Regia Marina
The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the Italian constitutional referendum, 1946, birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' ch ...
References
Bibliography
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* Massimello, Giovanni and Giorgio Apostolo. ''Italian Aces of World War 2''. Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2000. .
* Neulen, Hans Werner. ''In the Skies of Europe''. Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2000. .
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* Rogers, Anthony, ''Battle over Malta - Aircraft Losses & Crash Sites 1940-42''. Phoenix Mill Thrupp - Strout, Gloucestershire, Sutton Publishing, 2000. .
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Further reading
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{{Authority control
Military units and formations of Italy in World War II
1923 establishments in Italy
1946 disestablishments in Italy
Military units and formations established in 1923
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
Disbanded air forces